Patients with type one diabetes may find benefits from weight gain

A new study has found that people with type one diabetes may benefit from gaining body fat.

Researchers from the University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health analysed 655 people over 20 years.

They measured the patients body mass index (BMI) every two years and found that people who gained weight were "less likely to die".

Over the course of the study, there were 147 deaths and those who had a larger BMI growth were found to be one third less likely to die than people with smaller increases.

Dr Trevor Orchard, professor of epidemiology at the university, said: "Gaining a reasonable amount of weight may be a sign patients are getting enough insulin and appropriately controlling their disease, which may partly explain why those who gained weight over time had lower mortality rates."

The charity Diabetes UK has warned that over four million people in the UK could suffer with diabetes by 2025.

It warns of a 46 per cent increase in cases, based on new estimates from a report by the Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory.